


Was Gonna Die Young (Now I Gotta Wait)

by distractedgemini



Category: Captain Marvel (2019), Captain Marvel (Marvel Comics), Marvel, Marvel (Comics), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Abuse, Angst, Canon-Typical Violence, F/F, References to Depression
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-07
Updated: 2019-11-07
Packaged: 2021-02-28 10:22:16
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 8,970
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22848610
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/distractedgemini/pseuds/distractedgemini
Summary: Summary: Florence has a gift- she receives visions and tells prophecy’s and has, unbeknownst to her, attracted the attention of some of the worlds, and WWII’s greatest villain. Now, she must rely on one man to help her out long after she helps him.This was written for heli0s-writes writing challenge on tumblr, based off the song Die Young by Sylvan Esso
Relationships: Captain Marvel & OC Florence, Captain Marvel/OC Florence, Carol Danvers & OC Florence, Carol Danvers/OC Florence, James "Bucky" Barnes & OC Florence, James "Bucky" Barnes/OC Florence, The Winter Soldier & OC Florence
Kudos: 2





	1. Chapter 1

1941

“You can’t be doing these things!” her mother screamed at her, throwing her tarot cards into the fireplace. “Do you understand what will happen to you if you are caught?!”

Florence was trying to make herself as small as possible in the corner of the room, her cheek still stinging from when her mother struck her. 

“Are you even listening?” She bellowed, getting into her daughter’s face. Florence sunk to the ground and wrapped her arms around herself as she sobbed. 

This was it, Florence thought to herself as she began to get a hold of herself. This is the last time she gets hurt by the hands of her parents for using her gifts. 

“No, mother,” she said standing up. “I don’t have to fucking listen to you.” Her mother looked as if she had been struck, standing frozen. Florence moved past her, grabbed a shawl and her coat and walked out the door. 

Florence knew exactly where she was going- the docks. For most people, the docks in Brooklyn, New York were dangerous, but a girl like her? That is where she’d find solace.

“Madam Sullivan?” She called out as she pulled back the curtain. “It’s me, Flor-”

“Florence,” an old woman appeared out of nowhere, voice kind. “I was expecting you.”

Madam Sullivan had gifts like Florence did and was able to help her understand them, enabling her to become more powerful and control them. She had only been studying as her pupil for 8 months when it felt like nature itself was pulling the rug out from under her. 

“My dear,” she said solemnly, a hand on hers. “I have taught you all I can, and now, my time is over.”

Tears prickled Florence’s eyes as the last three years flashed behind her eyes. All the times her powers would scare her and the knowledge Madam Sullivan would bestow on her taught her there was no reason to fear them. All the times she was more of a mother than hers. All the times she felt at peace as she fell asleep, knowing her retched parents wouldn’t be able to hit her.

“No, please, I still have so much to learn!” Florence cried.

Madam Sullivan smiled, “That you do, but it won’t be from me.” She stood up and pulled Florence up with her, walking over to the window. The rain beat down on the window and Florence felt like the sky was weeping for all of Mother Nature. “Before I leave you, you must know that there are dark times ahead for you. There will be things that happen to you that you will wish you won’t live through. You must find something to live for in those times. Ask and the cards will show you.”

Madam Sullivan pressed her deck of Tarot cards into Florence’s hands. “These are for you. To have a part of me with you.” She looked outside before moving to the couch. “It is time, my daughter,” Madam Sullivan laid down and closed her eyes before her last breath left her lips. 

Florence mourned Madam Sullivan’s death so deeply that she stopped paying attention to what was happening around her. She didn’t notice the odd men who moved into the apartments above the shops next to Madam Sullivan’s. She didn’t notice how they watched her. She didn’t notice the warnings in the cards as she drew each day. She didn’t notice, at least, not until it was too late. 

“No,” she whispered to herself, quickly sweeping the cards up and into their case. As soon as her hand was on the doorknob, she knew she couldn’t escape this. So she opened the door for the strange men holding guns and allowed them to take her. 

That is how she ended up in Hydra’s grasp. That is how she was forced to use her gift of foresight for the most evil group she had ever met.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Florence has her first encounter with the Winter Soldier during a mission.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> italicized = visions

She had lost track of the years since but Hydra scientists injected her with the poison in her veins that defied the course of nature. When her prophecies began to come true, Hydra decided they never wanted to be without her so they injected her with a variation of their variation on the super-soldier serum. Her aging slowed so much that she would probably look 27 years old for the rest of her too-long life. Since the serum flowed through her veins, they began doing other tests on her to see exactly how it affected her. 

She had undergone memory wipes, physical abuse from some of the Winter Soldiers, she had been starved of both food and water, and now she just wanted to fucking die. She was only allowed her tarot cards when they needed something from her, but she didn’t have anything to lose, so she went looking for them. It was the dead of night- at least she was pretty sure it was, as she crept through the facility she was held in. Bare feet on the cold floor aided her in staying as silent as possible. It felt like she was being called to her cards and it couldn’t be a coincidence because guards, left and right, were sound asleep. She took a deep breath before peeking around the next corner where she was met with absolutely nothing. As she rounded the corner she began to feel paranoid. What if they were watching her? What if this was a trap? What if-

As she looked through the small window in the door, she saw her cards and a smile crept onto her face. Carefully she opened the door and snatched them, running back down the corridors to the small room they kept her in. Then, she moved to the back of the room behind her bed to have a little bit of privacy. She held her cards to her chest before shuffling the battered cards gently.

“I need something to live for,” she whispered as a tear slipped from her eyes before she drew the top six cards from the deck.

The Fool  
The Two of Wands  
The Chariot  
The Two of Cups  
The Lovers

As she laid them out, one by one, a vision began to form in her mind.

_Before her was a path covered in thick foliage, barely a path at all. Florence began to move forward, bracing herself against the limbs, vines, and bushes that crowded the way. As she slowly moved forward, the path began to get easier to traverse and soon, she was approached by a man. It was someone she recognized, but couldn’t place, at least not until she looked deep into his eyes._

_“I am here to help,” he whispers, “but first you must help me.” The man’s eyes suddenly turned cold and his posture was stiff, at attention. There was a flash in his blue eyes when he looked back at her, “Please, remember me. Help me,” he pleaded before returning to the cold demeanor and then disappearing altogether._

_Next, the single path diverged into three, and standing before her was her mentor, shrouded in a golden flame._

_“Madam Sullivan,” Florence cried, “What are you doing here?”_

_“I am here to guide you, my child,” she took a step forward and took Florence’s hand, the golden flame began to engulf her too. Rather than burns, however, she felt the warmth she could always count on from her mentor, a type of warmth she hadn’t felt since her passing. “I cannot tell you which path you must take, however, after you aid the man you must be patient. Your time to escape will come.”_

_Madam Sullivan shifted to stand beside her and now before her was a woman holding a gun and she was talking to a man who reeked of an aura both harmful and chaotic. Suddenly, then woman pointed her gun at the airplane between them and she pulled the trigger. As soon as she did, it was as if pure energy had exploded in rippling blue and red waves that rebounded towards the woman. Once the first wave touched her skin, it began to bind with the essence of the woman and she was being enveloped in the glorious energy. Before she passed out, her eyes shined with power and her hair was acting as if it was aflame, firey and wild. It was in that state that she seemed to lock her eyes directly with Florence’s grey ones._

_“Find me,” the woman whispered. “Live and find me.”_

Florence came back to reality with a gasp, eyes adjusting to the darkness once again.

The next morning, Florence was prepared for the backlash for sneaking out and stealing her cards, but it never came and that caused her to worry more than the abuse she should have already received would have. The next couple of nights she tried to learn more about the woman from her vision, however, on the third night the words of her mentor came to mind-

“You will only receive knowledge when the knowledge is ready to come to light and when you are ready to receive it. Nothing good comes by forcing the cards.”

She did her best to lie low, to do as she was told and to not talk back. She would be compliant and she was miserable. She spent decades doing this until she was trusted enough and was needed to accompany one of the Winter Soldiers on a mission. No chaperone, no observer, just her and the soldier.

They arrived somewhere in the states, where exactly she wasn’t sure. She quietly followed the soldier to a small, dingy motel where they would lie low. It was there that she saw the year, 2001. She began to feel panic twist in her stomach and rise to her throat. As soon as they were in their room she booked it for the bathroom as she threw up what little she had had to eat. After her stomach was done lurching, she laid down on the bathroom floor and cried. 

60 years. She has been in Hydra’s custody for 60 fucking years, yet she still looked like she was 27. As sobs ripped through her body she thought of the soldier she was meant to help and the woman she was destined for. How the fuck am I going to be able to save anyone when I’ve spent a lifetime as a prisoner? How the fuck is someone supposed to love me?

She heard a knock on the bathroom door and she forced herself back together again. 

“Just a minute,” she called out pathetically. 

She stood up and washed her face before looking at her reflection. She looked like a ghost and it terrified her. She looked herself in the eye when her eyes rolled back, only showing the whites of her eyes.

_She saw a man in uniform, hat crooked on his head to match the crooked smile on his lips. He was handsome, no question. There was a smaller man with him, sickly. She could see a fondness in both men’s eyes._

_“Don’t do anything stupid until I get back,” the man in uniform requested the smaller man._

_“How can I? You’re taking all the stupid with you,” the Brooklyn accent was heavy and suddenly Florence looked around. She was home and these men had to have lived not far from her._

_“You’re a punk,” the soldier replied, walking to embrace his friend in a hug so tight it should have crushed him._

_“Jerk,” the other man threw back. “Be careful.”_

_Florence looked closer at the soldier, finally finding his name. Sgt. Barnes. 107th._

_Barnes started walking away, and his friend called after him, “Don’t win the war till I get there!”_

Florence blinked her eyes open, the soldier had grown tired and gotten through the door and she met his eyes in the mirror. They were deep blue, would have been brighter had Hydra not drowned him out. Then everything clicked.

“Barnes?” 

“Your name is Barnes, right?” Florence kept her voice gentle, desperately trying not to startle him.

The soldier shook his head. “No,” he forced out as he ground his teeth together. 

Florence placed a hand on his arm and he jumped back and away from her, pulling out a knife from who knows where.“Soldat,” Florence whispered, “It’s okay. I am here to help you.” She held her hands out, showing that she had no weapons and that she meant no harm. It took a moment, but the soldier began to calm down and eventually sat down on one of the twin beds. Florence approached him slowly, hands still out. 

She sat on the other bed facing him.“I need you to think, and you have my word, you are safe to do so. No harm will come from this, you just have to trust me.” Florence saw a flash deep within his eyes, the man he truly is was trying to show himself. “The name Barnes, does that mean anything to you?” She asked him gently.

The soldier took a deep breath and closed his eyes, searching the limited memory he had. “Maybe,” he whispered, “I- I don’t know.”

Florence smiled slightly, his voice wasn’t as vibrant as it used to, but it was definitely his voice.“Could I show you something?” She asked, and idea forming in her mind. “I’m not sure if this is going to work, but it’s worth a try.”

The soldier nodded.

“Okay, Soldier, I am going to stand in front of you and place my hands on either side of your head,” she explained as she stood up. “Then, we are both going to close our eyes and I am going to try to show you what I saw.”

He nodded and she did as she said she would. She placed her hands on his head, a thumb on each temple. He felt tense beneath her and she realized this was the first time in 60 years since he’d been touched without violence.

“Alright,” she said, taking another breath, “close your eyes.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> References to 9/11 (except it's Stark Tower)

Florence was floored. It worked! She was able to show the Soldier the vision she had had, however, he did not respond well to it and she did everything she could to avoid ‘resetting’ him, but he wasn’t calming down. As she began saying the activation words, she forced herself to look him in the eye.

“Bengin,” she saw something in his eyes and she knew somewhere deep down, Sargent Barnes was suffering. “Nine. Homecoming. One,” she sighed, seeing all life disappear behind his eyes. “Freight Car.” 

Sargent Barnes stood at attention. “I’m going to save you,” she whispered to herself before turning to the soldier. “Soldat?” 

“Ready to comply,” he responded as a single tear slid down his cheek.

The mission was, both fortunately and unfortunately, a success. An airplane was crashed into something called ‘Stark Tower’ and after the Soldier had abandoned the plane and met up with Florence at the rendezvous point, they were on their way back to Siberia. Florence had to write out mission reports, and she did so on the plane. Hopefully, he wouldn’t be able to remember what had happened in the gross motel room, otherwise, they were fucked.

As soon as they landed, Florence was taken to Alexander Pierce, her “handler” of sorts. 

“Do you have the report completed?” he asked as soon as she was in his office.

She nodded and handed it to him and waited as he read it.

“Good,” he set it down. “As long as the Soldat’s report matches your own, we don’t have an issue.”

They waited until the Soldat’s handler sent over his report and Peirce smiled, pleased everything had gone accordingly. He looked up at Florence and his brows furrowed. 

“Do you have something you would like to say?” He looked her up and down, “Well, get on with it! I am feeling generous.”

“Thank you,” she said quietly. “I don’t want to assume anything, I am but another soldier.”

Peirce nodded for her to continue.

“If you and the others decide that it is important for me to go along with a Soldat for any missions in the future, might I request supplies to take care of myself better? It was difficult to lay low looking as I am and raised suspicion. It might be better for the organization if I am looking healthy, rather than a stringy ghost.” Florence continued staring at her shoes, waiting for Peirce to hit her.

He began to pace for a few minutes and she was positive she was going to throw up.

“I hate to say this, but I think you are right,” Peirce grumbled. “I will talk to my superiors.” 

She was then ushered out by an agent and Peirce picked up his phone.

After that, she received orders to maintain her appearance. However, she also received orders to begin training. Once Peirce brought up the fact that her horrid appearance raised suspicion, they began having the conversation that she should know how to fight and use a gun if things did not go according to plan- they refused to lose her since she gave them an advantage.

So she began training, learning from the different Soldats. Some were gentler than others and after one of them with piercing green eyes knocked her unconscious for four days, the Soldats were given specific instructions to avoid that. 

Today she was training with her Soldat. He was teaching her how to wield a knife.

“No,” he placed his knife in his thigh holster and stepped forward, “if you hold it like that you’ll sooner cut yourself than someone else.” He adjusted the knife in her hand but stayed closer. “You told me my name is Barnes, I need to know more.” His voice was so quiet she had doubted he had said anything at all, but he was standing there looking at her expectantly, eyes deep and longing.

“I’ll find out what I can, but I will need my cards,” she whispered back before he got back into position.

Late into that night, she awoke with a figure standing at the end of her bed. Her eyes grew wide and as soon as she moved to scream his hand was gently clasped over her mouth.

“Do not scream,” he whispered, “It’s just… Barnes. It’s me,” he waited to see recognition in her eyes before he removed his hand. “I have your cards.”

She sighed in relief as she held her cards, then moved to sit on the floor. “Sit with me? I should get a stronger vision if you are here with me.” 

He sat down facing her, leaning up against the wall as she shuffled the cards, then stopped suddenly. She was now holding the cards out to the soldier. “I need you to shuffle them for me, then draw off the top,” he was hesitant but took them. “Please be gentle with those.”

He nodded and did as she asked. 

The Page of Swords  
The Knight of Cups  
The Hanged Man

Florence took his hands in hers, and they closed their eyes.

_She and the soldier were standing away from the crowd. They seemed to be at some sort of fair with vendors and inventions being shown off. To their left was another crowd of dancing people, a band playing, music filling the empty spaces. Florence’s eyes locked on young Sargent Barnes the night before he left, a woman on both arms._

_“There,” Florence pointed, directing the soldier to see his younger self._

_“I was a ladies man?” he questioned as they watched the scene unfold._

_“I think it’s a little different than it looks,” Florence commented wisely and they moved closer._

_Sargent Barnes twirled both women before urging them together. “If anyone questions you or gives ya trouble just tell ‘em your Sargent went to find some drinks,” he winks and one of the girls leaves a kiss on his cheek._

_“You are a lifesaver, Bucky Barnes. Samantha and I are indebted to you,” the woman took Samantha’s hand and looked at her longingly._

_Bucky tipped his hat before wandering off, a smirk on his lips and a full heart._

_The Soldier turned to Florence, “I don’t understand.”_

_She smiled, “You are a good man. Those two women are in love and would never have been allowed out without a man. Also, your name is Bucky Barnes.”_

_He stared at her, eyes watery. He was about to ask something else but the scene before them began to change._

_They were in a military camp, snow on the ground, tents up. Nurses were running around to get ready for something. Then, a group of men came marching up and over the hill, a tall man with a silver star on his chest front and center with Sargent Bucky Barnes to his right. Men were holding up other men, doing their best to get each other to safety._

_Florence and the Soldier watched as the man with the silver star on his chest and Sargent Barnes helped the men around them- getting those with the worst injuries into triage and everyone else getting food, water, and any other medical attention needed._

_The two men share an interaction with each other than neither of them could hear when Florence realized who he was._

_“The man you are speaking with there,” she pointed to the man with the star, “is the same man you said goodbye to in the first vision I showed you.”_

_“Steve!” they both turned as they watched a woman in military attire approach the man with the star, however, she steeled herself slightly before she reached him. “I am so pleased you’re alright.” A fond smile spread over her lips before she turned to Bucky, “James, glad to have you back as well, I’ve heard much about you.”_

_They continued talking and Florence turned back to the Soldier._

_“What are you thinking?” She asked, placing a hand on his arm._

_He stared at where her hand was for a moment before answering. “I… she said my name was James… I think I would like you to call me that. Bucky doesn’t feel right… I’m not that man anymore.”_

_Florence nodded, “It suits you, James.”_

_The scene around them changed again when suddenly they were on a train. Literally on top of it. Steve was holding onto Bucky, but he was slipping from his grasp._

_“Till the end of the line!” Bucky yelled up at Steve as his fingers slipped through Steve’s._

_Florence felt James stiffen as he watched himself fall to his own death._

_Except now they were on the snowy ground and watched as men found him, took him, and began the process of turning him into the Winter Soldier, the Fist of Hydra._

When their eyes opened back up into reality, James was clutching her hands desperately trying to hold back whatever emotion was coming.

“Hey,” Florence cooed, “It’s going to be okay. One day it will all make sense. Come here,” she kneeled in front of him and pulled him into a hug and began rubbing his back. “You were a good man, James and you didn’t choose this life, you aren’t choosing to do the things Hydra is forcing you to do. You sacrificed everything so that your friend, Steve, could complete his mission. You could feel that right?” She felt his head nod ever so slightly. “Now, you need to understand something,” she pulled back and looked James in the eyes. “You are still a good man. Hydra’s brainwashing cannot get rid of that. Deep down, you are still just a boy from Brooklyn, helping out lesbians, and doing what you believe is right. And soon you are going to get out of this place, however, until then, there may be times when you just want to forget or you feel you have nothing left to live for. Remember that boy from Brooklyn.”

James nodded again.

“We really don’t have much time and I worry about what you might lose from memory wipes.” She placed a thumb on both of his temples, and whispered, “You will not lose who you are, not now, not ever. Remember,” she placed a kiss on his forehead before pulling away and he sat there in shock. 

“I don’t know how to repay you,” he whispered.

Florence just smiled. “One day, you’ll return the favor and help me get out.”


	4. Chapter 4

The next time James was able to steal her tarot cards and sneak into her room was a few years later. Hydra had been busy, dodging SHIELD, committing acts of treason, and plotting how to gain more power, more control. This meant James and Florence were busy committing the actual acts or foreseeing how to succeed in the future.

There was a quiet knock on her door before it opened.

“James!” Florence picked herself up off the floor. It had been a long time, so she was hesitant to touch him. “James, can I hug you?”

For a moment he internally recoiled from the idea until he remembered that she wouldn’t hurt him. “Please,” he choked. 

Carefully, Florence wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him in. It took a moment, but soon he was melting into her touch and he buried his face in her hair, which smelled like roses.

“I still remember,” he whispered. “I… is there any more you can show me?” 

Florence pulled away and James instantly missed her touch. “If you have my cards, we can find out?”

Then, they repeated their actions from a year ago, James shuffling and pulling the top three cards from the deck. 

The 9 of Swords, Reversed  
Death  
Wheel of Fortune

_They were surrounded by darkness, a small light shown ahead of them and they moved towards it. The closer they got, the more uneasy James began to feel, so he held onto Florence’s hand desperately._

_When they finally reached the light, they saw Bucky huddled into himself on the cold ground._

_“Till the end of the line,” he muttered. “I’m with ya till the end of the line.”_

_James froze when Florence let go of his hand, and instead took the hand of Bucky, who was shivering. As soon as she made contact, James felt at ease. He felt hope._

_Bucky looked up at James and with conviction, he whispered to him, “I am with ya till the end of the line.”_

_James bent down to reach Bucky, but as soon as he did, he disappeared._

_Next, they were in a hotel room, alone. Florence moved to pick up the newspaper that was left on the small kitchen table._

_“Bucharest,” she turned to James, “That’s when you’ll-”_

Florence’s eyes flew open to see James now standing by the door, his instincts had kicked in. He held a finger to his lips and Florence quickly swept the cards up and put them under her pillow.

James motioned for her to get into her bed and she did so as quietly as possible, freezing when the tired springs squeaked. She covered herself with a thin blanket and did her best to seem like she was asleep.

What felt like an eternity later, James was kneeling in front of you.

“Pleases don’t let me forget,” he whispered as he took the cards from under the pillow.

She nodded and placed her thumbs on his temples, “You will remember what you have learned of yourself, your mind is protected. Remember,” she kissed his forehead and he was gone.

She didn’t see James for far too long after that. She figured he was playing it safe, hoping he wasn’t in any danger. The next day she went on a mission with another soldier. 

Bucharest. 

They stayed in the hotel she had seen in her vision, and while the soldier was busy doing his job, she quickly wrote out a message for James to hopefully find one day and managed to seal it with her magic so only he would find it. 

She received a message from the soldier and pulled out her tarot deck. 

“We must leave now if the life of this soldier is important,” she replied, the soldier’s handler apart of the group message. 

She instantly received a message back, “The Soldat can handle himself. You will be picked up within 20 minutes.”

An idea pricked at the back of her mind, so she pulled a card.

The Hanged Man.

She sighed. She must be patient and sacrifice the now for her future. She wished desperately she could run away, find her way out. However, if she learned anything it was to listen to the cards. So she did. When the helicopter landed on the roof, she got on. If she ran now she might wind up dead, just as she knew the Soldat they were leaving behind would wind up dead.

And when he did, she received Hydra’s anger even though she properly warned his handler. That is how she ended up in the chair she had so often seen James in, the chair she had been in a long time ago when she was first given the serum. It was James who was ordered to place the block in her mouth. It was James who had to watch her scream.

That night, James snuck out to visit her. Make sure she was okay.

“P-please leave me alone,” she cried quietly. “P-p-please don’t hurt me.”

A sob got caught in James’ throat, which he forced down. “I would never hurt you, Florence,” he whispered before disappearing.

It took a week for Florence’s mind to heal itself from the memory wipe. That was just another way the serum she was given was different than the one the many Soldats were given. She did not have super strength or agility, however, she did have enhanced healing, aided and guided by her magic. 

And there was one thing she knew she needed to do- she had to let James know she remembered.


	5. Chapter 5

She was in the same room as James, training on opposite ends. Luckily she would have to walk past him to get to the dingy locker room. After receiving a heavy punch to her side, she was dismissed and she struggled to the locker room. 

She caught his eye and mouthed, “To the end of the line.” 

He seemed as though he saw nothing.

James, however, was filled with emotion that he had to stuff down while he trained a girl from the Red Room.

James crept into Florence’s room later that night only to find her clutching her side, crying, struggling to breathe. James knelt down beside the bed and tucked her hair behind her ear before gently lifting her shirt to see the damage. 

Her ribs were visibly broken and, upon gently feeling it James realized that her lung had been punctured, which is why she wasn’t healing- well, she was, and that was a part of the problem. James gently picked her up, and to the best of his abilities maintained a neutral face as he took her to the medical wing. 

“Punctured lung,” he informed the nurse who rushed her off.

“Soldat,” a young woman approached him, “you are instructed to wait here for your handler.”

He did as he was supposed to- stand at attention, face void of emotion all while a hurricane of feeling was ripping through him.

Much to his surprise, he was thanked by Florence’s handler for saving her life and he was given guard duty for her and instructed that he alone would train her. He remained at attention, face empty as he nodded at the two handlers.

“Wait here until she is out of surgery and stay with her. Wait for instruction,” and then they left. 

By the following evening, Florence was as good as new. Peirce informed her that the Soldat had saved her life and would solely be responsible for her training as well as the fact that he would be her guard in the facility and on any missions she was taken on. 

“Thank you, Soldat,” she said turning to James, who did not react. 

“We have learned that we cannot trust our other Soldats with your safety. You are our most precious asset,” he said, stroking her cheek with his thumb. “You must be protected at all costs.”

As soon as he left, she shivered, feeling creeped out. Peirce normally does not touch her and this was an unwelcome change. She looked up at James who was grating his teeth.

“James,” she whispered as quietly as possible. His eyes shot to her, “It’s alright. I am safe. He won’t hurt me.” 

He shook his head, still fuming. “When I get out, he is the first one I hope to kill.”

It was easier to meet with James from then on out. He had begun having dreams from his former life and Florence would help him understand them. She began having visions again of the woman she saw such a long, long time ago and she shared them with James. 

“She is the most beautiful woman I think I’ve ever seen,” she said wistfully. Then her face fell and her eyes darkened, “Who could really love me though?” she whispered.

“Stop that,” James said bluntly, surprising Florence. “If you are unworthy of love, what does that make me?” Emotion filled his voice, “If you are undeserving of redemption then I belong in the pits of hell.”

Tears streamed down her cheeks, “No, James, I- I’m so sorry. That isn’t what I meant at all.” James stood up and headed towards the door. “Please, James. We both deserve so much more.”

He smiled, however, hurt shone underneath it. “I know,” he said before taking up his posting. 

The next time James approached Florence with her cards was around 2 years later. James needed the time to process everything he had learned from both the visions and the dreams he was having. 

And for the third time they sat down on the dingy floor and James shuffled the cards, picking up the top three. 

The Hermit

The 5 of Cups, Reversed  
The 3 of Swords, Reversed

This time, it wasn’t a vision. As Florence held James’ hands, James watched as her eyes rolled back and she began to speak, her voice far off.

“You will wander through the darkness before you will find light, but you will find the light. The man you once were may never find himself again, not fully. However, this will allow you to decide who you are, not the man you are now, not the one you were almost 70 years ago; a new man. Have hope.“

When her eyes rolled back, James was staring past her, eyes wide.

"What the fuck do you two think you are doing!” A voice roared. 

The next thing Florence knew she was being pulled by the collar of her shirt and James was being forced to follow. Florence watched on in horror as James was strapped to the chair and was wiped harder than he had ever been wiped before. When it was done, a blank look was left in his eyes, almost like he was a ghost.

“Your punishment will be to remember,” they spat at her. “Now get up, you’ve got a mission to go on.”

Now, all she knew was the cruel passing of time. James still stood guard at her door and still was the one to train her, but there was always someone else there too. Her tarot cards were under lock and key and she spent her days meditating when she wasn’t on missions.

This mission was going smoothly. She didn’t know where, exactly, she wasn’t allowed that information anymore. She was sitting at a cafe like she was told to do, drinking a latte when a man approached her.

“Ma’am,” he said softly before asking if he could sit down. She nodded and rather than sitting across from her, he sat next to her. “Please don’t be alarmed. I am here to offer you a way out,” he whispers.

She looks up suddenly from the hole she was staring into her mug, “What do you mean?” she asked him, tone serious.

“I can see the faded bruises, the scars. I’m not sure what this person has over you, but-”

Florence smiled, “It isn’t a person, but thank you. It isn’t my time to leave yet, and I know that must sound like a sick joke but trust me, as soon as my time has come, I am gone.” She looked over the man affectionately. “What is your name?”

“Riley,” he stuck out his hand and she shook it. “What’s yours?”

Before she could answer, his phone rang and he picked it up, “Sam, what is it?” there was a pause, “Shit, that time already? I’m on my way.” He hung up the phone before grabbing the small napkin from next to her cup. “Well, here’s my number if you change your mind or need somewhere to go.” And then he was gone as quickly as he had come.

Not even a minute had passed and the Soldat walked up to the table and sat down. He had seen the man and she had the feeling he wouldn’t last much longer.

Another mission didn’t come for quite some time, so she began to work on the skill of allowing visions without her cards. They were more difficult to understand and control, but that’s why she was practicing.

_Two men were fighting in the air- no that can’t be right. She looked again and saw glass beneath them. One of the men was dressed in blue with a silver star on his chest, the other in black with a familiar red star on his metal arm. Then they were falling through the air and landed in the Pontiac._

Her eyes flew open. James would be leaving for a mission soon in New York. It would be from New York that he would escape to Bucharest. But how was she supposed to get him the information? How was she-

James threw open the door to her room and grabbed her by the hair, hauling her up to her feet and forcing her with him.

“You had another vision, didn’t you, my dear,” Pierce turned his chair around and nodded for James to release her. “I want to know what was in it.”

This had happened in the past, damn cameras in her room.

“Project Insight,” she began, half lying. “There is a man with a silver star on his chest that will try to get in its way. Unless,” she smiled inwardly, a plan forming. “Unless you send him,” she points to James. “And I don’t mean any Winter Soldier, I mean this one specifically.”

Peirce nods, accepting her answer. “Very well, return her to her room,” he commands James.

This time they walk back, and she does so slowly, he matches her pace.

“James,” she says quietly, waiting for him to react, one way or another.

“What,” he grits out, his mouth doesn’t even look like it’s moved, but there is a pained expression behind his eyes.

She sighs out in relief. “James, do you still trust me?” she whispers, and he nods. Quickly he pushes her so that they are hiding in a blind spot of the cameras. “Let me into your mind, they cannot know that you know.”

And for a moment it looks like he isn’t going to let her, but he does. She places a finger in between his eyes and whispers, lips close to where her finger is. “On this mission, things will begin to fall into place. Don’t fight it. Once you pull the man with the silver star out of the Pontiac, go to Bucharest. Then, in a few years,” she feels a tear fall down her cheek, “Come back for me.”

She’s done and suddenly James is holding her against the wall with his arm against her neck.

“What is going on here?” a man, Rumlow you think, rounds the corner.

“She was giving me attitude,” James practically grunted.

Rumlow cocks an eyebrow up, “I’d love to put that mouth to better use.” 

And she wishes she could punch the guy right in the nuts, but she feels James stiffen and his muscles clench and jaw ticks and she swears she hears him whisper, “over my dead body,” but Rumlow doesn’t hear, he just keeps walking. 

When James pushes her into her room, there is a sad look in his eyes, but then he’s closing the door and for the first time in a long time, she feels truly alone.

James never returned and soon she was being moved to another facility where she was in close proximity to “the twins” as they were referred to. She had ample time to practice meditating and allowing visions and, when the opportunities presented themselves, she would talk to the twins. 

Pietro was more receptive to her than Wanda was, the latter had buried herself deeper and deeper into the magic she now had to protect herself. However, sometimes, and this was rarer than when she could speak to them, Wanda would speak to her through her mind while Florence was meditating. Half the time the interaction was positive, the other half, Wanda showed her her worst fears.

Tonight, she was meditating when she could feel the magic begin to tingle in her toes and work her way up to her head and the vision started.

_James stood with the man with the silver star on his chest- Steve Rogers, Captain America, along with Tony Stark, Natalia Romanova, Dr. Bruce Banner, and Thor, the god of thunder._

_“This is where an older, unoperational hydra base used to be.” James pointed to a spot on the map and marked it with a little figurine of a snake. Florence walked in closer, standing in the empty spot between James and Thor. “I think we could find crucial information here,” he stated, looking up at everyone._

_“Buck, I know you want to take down Hydra, hell, we all do,” Steve looks up around the table and everyone nods. “But just in case what’s left of them moved to what used to be an unoperational base I think we should send in a small team… “ he pauses for a beat too long and places a hand on Bucky’s arm, “without you. We just got you back, I’d hate to lose you aga-”_

_“No, I get it. The activation words are still set up like a trigger in my brain, bu-” James paused and seemed to look straight at Florence._

_“Can you feel me?” Florence whispered, “Can you tell I am here?” She placed a finger on the middle of his forehead and felt his head nod ever so slightly. “I need you to find me, I can’t last much longer.”_

_Now everyone was staring at him so he took in a breath and continued, “But, if you are right Steve, I need you to find someone for me. I owe her my life.”_

_Suddenly the vision was tainted red and logically she knew Wanda was altering it, however, it didn’t mean it didn’t feel real._

_“And I need to be the one who kills her.” James face contorts into a menacing grin as he stalks forward and places his metal hand around her throat, sucking the life out of her with her last breath._


	6. Chapter 6

Everything is in chaos. The twins were let loose on the Avengers, and a small group of Hydra agents did what they could to move Florence to a safer location. Currently, she was being loaded into a van and, much to the dismay of the agents with her, a plane overhead began to shoot at them. 

“Get the fuck in there!” the agent to her left called out as she pushed her forward. 

Florence landed with a soft thud and was followed by agents getting in and slamming the doors shut. They didn’t make it very far due to the engine being shot at as soon as the driver turned the key and suddenly everything was on fire around her.

Florence took a deep breath and stood up, opening the doors. As she walked out she focused on her breathing and as she did, ice from the ground beneath her began to attach itself to her skin forming a shield. Her instincts were telling her to run, but she went back inside the building anyways to help the Avengers the best she could. When she saw them lost in the fear induced by Wanda, she used her magic to free them from her grasp. Finally, she freed the last one, Steve, before she fell to the ground praying this was the time she would finally be saved.

When she opened her eyes, she knew that had not been the case.

She was sitting in a seat on a small airplane, hands, and feet bound together, a Hydra agent across from her who simply glared at her when she made eye contact. 

The plane ride was long and bumpy and about 30 minutes after she woke up, she desperately needed to use the bathroom.

“Excuse me,” she said politely. “I need to use the bathroom,” once the agent looked at her, Florence looked down at her bound feet and motioned to them.

“Fine,” the agent rolled her eyes and released her aching ankles.

“Hands?” She cautiously asked and the agent looked like she thought she would try and jump out of the plane. “I’m not going anywhere other than the bathroom. Please?”

With a huff, her hands were released as well and Florence was escorted to the small bathroom. “I might be a little while,” she said with a grimace and the agent rolled her eyes again before plopping down in the nearest seat.

Once the bathroom door was locked, she sighed and attempted to stretch out a bit before pulling down her pants and sitting on the toilet.

Her mind wandered as she sat and it felt like the back of her brain was itching, like someone was calling out her name. So even though she would rather not do this on the toilet, there was no other option without being caught. She drifted into her subconscious and closed her eyes.

_“Florence!” She heard a familiar voice call and she followed it until her subconscious landed in the Avenger’s compound._

_“Florence!” Bucky was practically yelling, desperately hoping, praying she would be able to make contact with him again like when they were planning the raid._

_“I’m here,” she spoke softly and saw Bucky’s ears visibly pick up the sound waves._

_“Thank god,” he breathed. “I- god I feel foolish, but I think you are here. Can you let me know for sure?”_

_Florence stood there thinking for a moment before she eyed the deck of playing cards left on the coffee table. She picked them up and threw them._

_“Okay!” He called out, laughing. “Okay, I get it. Couldn’t have chosen something other than playing 52 pick up, eh?”_

_She smiled to herself, it was good seeing him like this. He certainly found a bit of light, after all._

_Then his face drew in, serious. “I need to know you are okay. Steve said he saw someone that fit your description. I was in the quinjet and thought I saw you being stuffed into the back of a van. Do you know where you are going?”_

_Florence reached out and touched his face, feel his scratchy beard in her hand. She closed her eyes._

_She was near a warehouse by some docks and the air smells familiar. A man she recognized was reading a text. She moved in to get a closer look but it was all numbers._

_Quickly, Florence began to arrange the deck of cards in order of the numbers she saw with two decorative pebbles from a nearby vase as decimal points._

_40.6455, 74.0239_

_The part of her still tethered to her body could hear knocking on the bathroom door in the airplane and knew she didn’t have much time. She hoped he would make sense of it and before she left him she placed a kiss between his eyes like she had done so many times before. ___

__

__Bucky was staring at the cards on the floor when Sam came in._ _

__

__“Hey man, what is that?” Sam asked as he sat down on the couch._ _

__“I don’t know,” he sighed. “I know this sounds crazy, but I managed to make contact with my friend from,” he paused, “before.”_ _

__“Okay,” Sam said, urging him to continue._ _

__

__“I asked if she was okay and if she knew where she was. This is what she left.” Bucky scrubbed his hands over his face and through his hair._ _

__

__“It’s latitude and longitude,” Nat’s voice floated over them and they quickly turned to where the spy was leaning against a wall. “I already looked it up, it’s the Brooklyn docks.”_ _

__Bucky stood up and began walking out of the room._ _

__

__“Wow there, cowboy,” Nat moved to stand in his way. “You and I both know you can’t just go barging in there. I’ll go set up surveillance so that we know what we are dealing with.”_ _

__“I’m coming too,” he asserted. “I can’t sit this one out. She is still with them,” he practically spat, “because I wasn’t active on the ground.”_ _

__“You can’t blame yourself, man,” Sam shook his head, “None of us knew what we were dealing with down there.”_ _

__Bucky allowed himself to let go of the breath he was holding and nodded, “Okay, you’re right, but let me fucking help.”_ _

__Luckily for Florence, no one knew what had happened while she was in the bathroom. The agent went to bind her hands and feet again but Florence practically begged her not to._ _

__

__“Please,” she sighed, “I promise I’m not going anywhere, I am uncomfortable enough as it is in these seats.”_ _

__Their eyes narrowed at her, trying to decide if she could be trusted._ _

__

__“How about this,” she bargained. “Before we land, my hands get bound again. If I have to get up to go to the bathroom, I’ll tell you. If I have to move my body for any reason, I will tell you.”_ _

__The agent relented and Florence did her best to get comfortable._ _

__A few more hours past when finally the pilot announced they’d be landing soon and the agent bound her hands and placed a cloth over her eyes. Once on the ground, she was shoved into another van and after who knows how long, the van stopped._ _

__“Come on,” a rough, familiar voice that sent chills down her back was ushering her out of the van and into the night air._ _

__Florence inhaled deeply and the air smells like it did in her vision. Something familiar that reminded her of home. Her moment was abruptly ruined when a sharp blow hit her ribs, causing her to keel over._ _

__“Keep moving,” the same voice urged and grabbed her and forced her into the building. Finally, she was shoved to the ground and the blindfold was removed._ _

__A cruel smile found its way to her keeper’s lips, “Should I keep your hands bound? Just for the fun of it?” Rumlow was kneeling above her, moving the hair out of her face. The gentleness of the motion made her stomach twist. “You’re a lot prettier now. Maybe I should keep you as my pet,” Rumlow grasped her chin with calloused hands, forcing her to look up at him. His eyes flashed before he slapped her and shoved her back to the ground._ _

__

__“FIND THE FUCKING TWINS,” he yelled in her face before slamming the door leaving her in the dark, mildewy room._ _

__She was just glad at this point that her hands were bound in front of her, rather than behind her back. She sat with her back to the corner opposite the door, eyes open doing as she was told. Her mind reached out through the warehouse, down the streets, across the state when she picked up on Wanda._ _

___“Are you safe?” Florence asked as Wanda’s own mind accepted the invasion._ _ _

___“Yes,” she replied, accent thick._ _ _

___“Good, please make sure it stays that way.”_ _ _

___“Florence?” Wanda did not allow Florence to break the connection like she wanted to. “I’m sorry for what I did to you while we were in there.”_ _ _

___“You don’t need to apologize. You were doing what you needed to survive,” Florence told her, kindly._ _ _

___ _

___“Except, I was not trying to survive. I was having fun. My brother was kind to you and I made you my plaything. Forgive me.”_ _ _

___“I do,” Florence finally said. “I won’t let them take you two again.”_ _ _

___“Thank you,” Wand replied genuinely to both things Florence just told her. “Barnes, he is trying to find you.”_ _ _

___“I know,” she sighed. “But it isn’t safe. It isn’t time yet. Please tell him that.”_ _ _

___“I will-”_ _ _

__Florence broke the connection when she heard someone approaching._ _

__The door swung open and slammed into the wall with a loud bang and Rumlow walked through._ _

__

__“Hello, pet,” he spat. “You found them, didn’t you?”_ _

__Before she could reply Rumlow took a few long strides and picked her up by her bound hands, “You better tell me where the fuck they are,” he growled._ _

__“I couldn’t find them,” Florence spat. “They don’t want to be found, I think Wanda blocked me somehow.”_ _

__“YOU ARE LYING!” Rumlow sent her flying against the wall and with a loud crack, everything faded to black._ _


End file.
